Tobacco leaf stringing apparatus



Nov. 21, 1961 R. SHELTON TOBACCO LEAF STRINGING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 20, 1959 BY 7% W4 PM ATTORNEY Nov. 21, 1961 R. SHELTON TOBACCO LEAF STRINGING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 20, 1959 'BYA ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofilice 3,009,585 Patented Nov. 21, 1961 3,009,585 TOBACCO LEAF STRINGING APPARATUS Ralph Shelton, Hallsboro, Va. Filed July 20, 1959, Ser. No. 828,225 1 Claim. (Cl. 2145.5)

This invention relates generally to a tobacco leaf stringing apparatus and more particularly to a tobacco leaf stringing apparatus of the type wherein a flap is partially punched out in the stem portion of a tobacco leaf and a loop portion of string is simultaneously slipped under the flap so formed for securement to the leaf.

It is well known in the prior art to force a threading needle through a plurality of adjacently-arranged tobacco leaf stems, as taught by the Sponsel Patent No. 1,483,558 for example, in order to mount the leaves upon a supporting string. Such devices of the prior art contain certain inherent drawbacks, however, such as complexity, large size and space requirements, the necessity of leaf clamping means, the provision of strong threading needles, the necessity for power means for forcing the needles through the leaves, and the like. The present invention was developed to provide a simple, durable tobacco leaf threading device of novel structure and operation which alleviates the diiliculties presented by the known types of stringing apparatus.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a tobacco stringing apparatus of the type wherein an inclined punch member simultaneously partially punches out a flap in the stem portion of a tobacco leaf and positions a loop of string under the flap to secure the leaf to the string.

A more specific object of my invention is to provide a tobacco leaf stringing apparatus utilizing an inclined punch member having a U-shaped cross-sectional configuration for partially punching out a flap portion in the tobacco leaf and for simultaneously placing a loop of string under the flap to secure the leaf to the string.

Still another object of my invention resides in the method for stringing a plurality of tobacco leaves for drying which comprises the steps of partially punching out a flap in the stem portion of each of the leaves, placing a length of string under the flaps formed in said leaves, and mounting the string upon a supporting bar with the tobacco leaves depending downwardly from the string, said tobacco leaves being supported solely by the flap connection to the string.

A further object of my invention is to provide a portable, manualy-operable tobacco leaf stringing apparatus having a main block, a base plate secured to said main block and spaced therefrom, said base plate having a recess therein, a punch member of U-shaped cross-sectional configuration angularly arranged for sliclable movement within said main block and adapted to removably extend into said recess, and means for supplying string to said punch member so that said punch member will punch a flap in a tobacco leaf positioned intermediate the main block and the base plate and simultaneously loop a portion of the string beneath the flap.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

6. l is a plan view of the tobacco stringing apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1, the punch member being in its fully inserted punching position;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 2 with the punch member in its retracted position;

FIG. 4 is a prespective view of one method of supporting the string of tobacco leaves from a support bar;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another method of supporting the string of tobacco leaves from a support bar;

FlG. 6 is a perspective view of a portable embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 8 is a bottom perspective view of the pointed end of the punch.

Referring now more particularly to FIGS. 1-3, the tobacco leaves 1 which are to be threaded, hung, and cured are placed on the threading table 2. Rigidly secure-d to the threading table 2 by means of the screws 3 is the punch and threading apparatus shown generally by the reference numeral 4. The punch and threading apparatus consists of a rectangular block 5 secured to the table by the screws 3 and a guide block 6 secured to the block 5 by means of bolts 7. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the lower surface of guide block 6 is spaced above the surface of table 2 so that the tobacco leaf stems may be inserted therebetween as will be described in greater detail below. The table 2 may be made of wood, metal or the like, and the guide blocks 5 and 6 may be formed from wood, plastic or metal as desired.

Slidably mounted in the inclined bore 8 of guide block 6 is the punch 9 formed of metal and having a sharp, pointed end 10. Button or pad ll is rigidly secured to the other end of the punch. As shown in FIG. 7, the punch is of a U-shaped channel configuration. Spring 12 surrounding the punch tends to urge the same upwardly to the position of FIG. 3.

At its pointed end it), the punch is provided with a hole 13 through which string 14 is fed. Opposite the hole 13 is a notched recess 15 through which the thread extends as will be described in greater detail below.

The upper surface of the table 2 has therein a recess 2:: beneath the guide block 6; the recess is adapted to receive the punch 9 during the punching and threading operation as shown in FIG. 2.

The operation of the apparatus may now be described.

The tobacco leaves are placed on the surface of table 2 with their stems extending in the same direction and are moved manually or mechanicaly from left to right as shown in FIG. 1. When the stem of a leaf is positioned under guide block 6, pressure is applied to pad 11 to move punch 9 downwardly against the biasing force of spring 12 to the position of HG. 2. The pointed end 19 of the inclined punch will partially punch out the flap 1a from the tobacco leaf stem as shown in FIG. 2, the flap being located adjacent the base end of the stem and with the free end of the severed portion remote from said base and standing out at a small angle to the plane of the stem. It is to be noted from FIG. 2 that the flap 1a extends between the side flanges of the U-shaped punch, and that the portion of string 10 stretched between hole 13 and notch 15 is below the tip of the flap lla. Upon the release of pressure on pad 11, spring 12 expands to move the punch 9 upwardly to the position of FIG. 3. As the punch moves upwardly the string 14 is drawn beneath the flap 1a as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 where, after the punch has been withdrawn, the string is secured between flap and stem. The threaded leaf may then be displaced to the right in PEG. 1 to withdraw an additional portion of string from the string supply 16. The next tobacco leaf is positioned beneath the guide block 6 and the punching and threading operation is repeated.

It should be mentioned that, if desired, the first tobacco leaf 1 fed through the punching means may be punched twice as shown in FIG. 1 so that the end 14 of string 14 will be firmly secured to the leaf. While manual operation of the punch 9 has been illustrated and described, it is apparent that the punch 9 may be operated mechanically in timed relation to the feeding of the tobacco leaves across the table 2, if desired.

After a desired number of leaves have been threaded upon the string 14, the string may be mounted upon the supporting bars 17 in various ways as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. In the embodiment of FIG. 4 the string 14 is supported by a plurality of metal C-clips 18 mounted on the supporting bar 17, and in the embodiment of FIG. the string is looped upon the bar by means of loops 19. The supporting bars may then be inserted into the curing apparatus with the leaves depending downwardly from the supporting strings and supported solely thereby.

FIG. 6 illustrates a portable embodiment of the invention which may be carried into the field for manual threading of the leaves as they are removed from the tobacco plant. In this embodiment the inclined punch 30 is slidably guided in a bore in the rectangular block 31 and is adapted to extend during the punching and threading operation into the recess 32 in the upper surface of the base plate 33 which is rigidly secured to the block 31 by the connecting member 34. The string 35 is fed to the punch 30 through the aperture 36 in the connecting member 34-. The operation of this embodiment is similar to the previously described operation of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

It will be apparent that the apparatus of the instant invention is quite simple and inexpensive to manufacture and requires only one moving part. The provision of complicated means for clamping the leaves during the threading operation is done away with due to the simplified inherent design of the apparatus. According to the present invention the preparation of the tobacco leaves for curing may be accomplished easier and faster than by the previously known methods and apparatus of the prior art, and the work may be readily done by a single workman. The specific manner in which the leaves are connected to the string enables positive support from the string in such a way as to achieve complete curing of each tobacco leaf. The flap mounting means will permit sliding movement of the leaves upon the string if desired for connection of the string to the supporting bars.

While in accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes I have illustrated and described the best forms and embodiments of the invention now known to me, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other changes and modifications may be made in the apparatus and method described without deviating from my invention as set forth in the following claim.

I claim:

Apparatus for stringing a tobacco leaf which comprises a base member having a supporting surface with a recess therein, said supporting surface'being adapted to support a tobacco leaf with the stem portion. thereof over said recess, punch means angularly arranged above the supporting surface of said base member, said punch means having a generally inverted-U-shaped cross-sectional configuration and terminating in a pointed extremity above said recess, said punch means having also a portion of a length of string extending transversely across the flange portions thereof adjacent said pointed extremity, said string extending through an aperture provided in one flange portion of the punch means and likewise through a notched recess in the other flange portion of said punch means, said punch means being inclined toward and longitudinally movable relative to said base member to punch a flap portion from such leaf stem, the severed portion of said flap being remote from the base of said stem and standing out at a small angle with respect to the plane of said stem, as said punch means is inserted into said recess and to place said portion of the length of string beneath the flap of the leaf stem as the punch means is withdrawn from said recess.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 23,831 Sigoda May 18, 1954 154,302 Van Alstine Aug. 18, 1874 2,621,405 Facciuto Dec. 16. 1952 

